FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington presents “From Legos to Self-Driving Cars,” a lecture on accessibility by Lance Neeper, UMF assistant professor of special education. The next lecture in UMF’s “The Public Classroom” faculty speaker series, Neeper’s presentation will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, in the Emery Community Arts Center on the UMF campus.
Creative problem solvers are developing simple gadgets, high-tech devices, applications and much more to minimize barriers in our communities. In this talk, Neeper will explore accessibility using a wide-lens and a variety of media with the goal of opening up dialogue related to community access for all citizens.
This year marks the 25 anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 40 anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These two pieces of legislation have led to increased access in school and community settings, as well as increased awareness related to barriers in communities that may prevent full participation.
As a high-school student, Neeper first became interested and aware of accessibility issues related to his peers with disabilities. Since then, experiences in and out of classroom settings across the United States have led to his continued fascination with the concept of accessibility.
Neeper earned his PhD in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His teaching and research interests focus on teacher education, experiential and inclusive education, positive post-school outcomes for all students and assistive technology.
“The Public Classroom” series is sponsored by the UMF Office of the President. Lectures in this series are free and open to the public.
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